1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to testing devices which measure the material properties of footwear. More specifically, the testing device measures the capacity for vertical support of the midsole of the shoe. Although the testing device may be employed with any footwear, it may find its greatest use in measuring and categorizing the data from sports or athletic footwear. It is also contemplated that the measuring device will measure the deterioration of vertical support of the midsole with the increase of temperature, the age of shoe itself, as well as the stresses that the shoe has been put through. These measurements will permit the consumer to find a shoe (or athletic footwear) that demonstrates the best value by comparison of the test results. This testing device may be employed with the torsional testing device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,743 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,200 which are incorporated by reference. Both these aforementioned patents have the same inventor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of shoe testing devices are known in the art. These have been discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,743 which has been incorporated by reference. None of the devices known employ a mechanism to measure the capacity for vertical support of an athletic shoe at the midsole. Nor do any of the known devices measure the capacity for vertical support with temperature variation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,743 measures the torsional stresses and the resistance to axial twisting motion in the shoe. A second patent by the same inventive entity measures the torsional stresses with increased temperature (U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,200). These two patents measure completely different shoe properties and it is intended to employ one testing machine to test all of these properties and perhaps others not yet discussed.
Athletic shoes, in the last thirty years or so, have progressed from the canvas “high-top chucks” to today's computer designed athletic footwear often costing over $100.00 USD, at the time of this application for patent. Other than the price itself, it is difficult to categorize such footwear. Materials used to manufacture the footwear, the method of manufacture thereof and the intended use of the footwear are several of the parameters which can be categorized, indexed and classified by the instant invention. It has become known that the capacity for vertical support at the midsole is an important measurement in such athletic footwear. When new, the amount of support at the midsole is at its maximum. The material(s) that the midsole is comprised of and the amount of such material is often one of the main factors in determining its longevity, resistance to heat, moisture and other stressors. By using the instant invention, one may make a comparison chart of new athletic shoes as well as test used athletic shoes to see if they are still within a certain parameter which would maintain performance and minimize injury.